


Next to Normal

by mysticalflute



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dudley is a wizard, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 11:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19927600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalflute/pseuds/mysticalflute
Summary: Petunia's worst nightmare comes true in the form of her son's floating game console.





	Next to Normal

Number Four Privet Drive was quiet, aside from the radio playing softly in the living room, as one Petunia Dursley stood dusting off the photos on the mantle, as she did every morning at ten-thirty. Everything was progressing along just as it should, just as it _did_ every day.

Petunia turned, finished with the dusting, and went over to the cupboard under the stairs, grimacing at the spider web. No matter how many times Petunia cleaned this place, the spider webs just grew back.

She couldn't fathom putting anything in here other than cleaning supplies.

Letting out a soft sigh, Petunia made a mental note to fit in cleaning the cupboard in between the rounds of laundry, and went out to sweep her small front stoop.

"Good morning Petunia! Beautiful day isn't it?" called Alice Wexler from across the road.

Petunia gave the woman a polite smile and nod. "Indeed it is! Almost too perfect for March, wouldn't you say?"

"It does seem that way! But we should enjoy it while we have it, right?"

"Indeed. I think Dudley and I will head over to the park when I go pick him up from school," Petunia hummed with a wave as she retreated back inside when she heard the phone begin to ring. That was strange. Marge didn't usually call until dinnertime.

"Hello? Dursley residence."

_"Mrs. Dursley, hello. This is Mrs. Nolan, Dudley's teacher. Do you have a moment to talk?"_

Dudley's teacher? Her little Dudder? What a strange phone call to get. "Oh! Of course I do Mrs. Nolan. What can I do for you?" she asked with a small frown.

The teacher heaved out a sigh. _"Well… it appears Dudley has gotten into a bit of trouble this afternoon. He somehow threw an eraser across the room and hit the board. He claims he didn't do it, but there are… well, a lot of witnesses."_

Oh no. This was a phone call parents dreaded.

"Why Mrs. Nolan, I'm sure there must be some kind of misunderstanding," Petunia said smoothly. Dudley was strong, yes, but would he go so far as to throw something across the room? Her Dudders would never do such a thing! "I know Dudley might not be the best student in terms of grades, but I know for a fact he would never throw an eraser!"

_"Mrs. Dursley, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to give him some sort of punishment – "_

"I said my son is innocent. You will do no such thing!" Petunia protested.

A resigned sigh met her ears. _"Very well, Mrs. Dursley. Can you please ask Dudley what really happened, at least? Maybe he'll talk to you instead of me."_

Petunia smiled, pleased with the arrangement. "Of course I can, Mrs. Nolan. Thank you very much for seeing it my way."

_"You're welcome. Bye now."_

Petunia hung up the phone, content, until the end of the day when it was time to get Dudley from school.

"Dudley dear, how was school today?" she asked smoothly.

"Something really cool happened mum!" he said, practically bouncing on his toes as they walked down the lane.

Petunia smiled. "Oh? And what was that?"

"The teacher's eraser flew across the room! It was like magic! No one saw who threw it, and I don't think anyone did!"

Magic?

Color began to drain from her face as they entered the house. "Magic?" she whispered. "And why do you say that, Dudley? You know magic isn't real."

"I know Mum, but it was so weird! And so cool! Besides, it's not like the teacher didn't deserve it. She was really annoying today…"

Petunia pretended she didn't hear that last part as she gave Dudley a bowl of crisps to eat. "Just because you didn't see who did it doesn't mean it was magic, Dudley. And don't worry, I've already spoken to your teacher. She will not be blaming you."

Dudley smiled up at her. "Thanks Mummy."

"Only the best for you, my dear, sweet boy," Petunia replied with a smile. "Now, why don't you head upstairs and play some of your video games before dinner?"

Dudley nodded and got up, heading upstairs as Petunia prepared a roast and potatoes.

"Whoa!" she heard the muffled cry of her son. When he was playing his games, it wasn't unusual for him to cry out during a particularly hard part, it was a bit strange for him to be so… quiet with his shouts.

So it was with a small frown that Petunia set down the knife she was using and made her way upstairs. "Dudley? Is everything alright in there?"

"Mum! Come here! You have to see this. It's so cool!"

Petunia let out a soft sigh. Usually when Dudley showed her things he deemed cool in his video games, it was a new way to kill another character. Hardly the sort of thing that Petunia wanted her son to be interested in, but she couldn't convince him otherwise. Even so, he wanted to show her something, so Petunia pushed his bedroom door open…

And nearly fainted at the sight.

Her son's game controller was floating in the air, while her son was sitting on his bed in awe. Excitement was written on his face as he glanced from Petunia to the floating controller.

She felt her legs almost give way, but she kept herself steady with her hand resting on the handle of the door to keep herself upright. She couldn't stand this. She couldn't stand the thought that her son could be like her – her sister. The woman she hadn't spoken to in years because she'd gotten everything and Petunia was only left with the scraps. She couldn't stand the thought of Dudley being a – a freak like her!

"It's time to do your homework, Dudley," she managed to whisper. "Turn off your game and do your homework."

"But – "

"Now!" she said sharply. Much sharper of a tone than she'd ever used with him before.

Sensing the unease with his mother, Dudley scurried off to do as she asked. As he disappeared down the stairs, Petunia let her legs drop to the floor.

She couldn't tell Vernon. Not yet. Not knowing how he'd react.

Petunia was cornered. Completely and utterly cornered, and left with only one option.

She had to call her sister.

Taking a deep breath, Petunia steadied her nerves and made her way to the phone she and Vernon kept in their bedroom, pulling out the number she'd kept hidden for a rainy day, and dialed while praying to whatever god was out there that they hadn't gotten rid of the phone.

_"Potter residence, Harry speaking."_

Petunia's breath caught in her throat at the voice. She remembered getting that announcement. She hadn't sent anything. Had thrown out the announcement, but she remembered getting it in the mail. Harry… her nephew's name was Harry. A perfectly ordinary name, surprisingly.

_"Hello? Is anyone there?"_

_"Harry, if no one's there, hang up the phone!"_

"Lily…" she whispered when she heard her sister's voice, jolted back into the reality of the situation. "Hello… yes, I need to speak with Lily, please."

_"Oh. Okay. Mum! Phone for you!"_

There was a brief pause as the phone changed hands, and finally there was a soft "hello?" on the other line.

"Lily… I… it's me. Petunia."

Another pause, this time of shock. For a moment, Petunia could have sworn her sister had stopped breathing, until she heard a whispered _"Tunie?"_

"Yes. Lily I… I don't know what to do."

_"What is it? Are you okay?"_

"Physically yes, I'm fine… I'm not sure about mentally right now."

_"What happened?"_

Petunia took a deep breath. "I think my son – my Dudley – has magic."

_"You… think he's a wizard? What makes you think that?"_

She placed a hand on her forehead. "The… he has this video game thing, I don't know if you keep up with technology anymore but… it was floating. They aren't supposed to _do that_ , Lily."

Lily sighed on the other end of the line. _"Okay. I'll get in contact with Professor Dumbledore and let him know. I imagine… he'll be in contact soon, if Dudley is. Does Vernon know?"_

"He's not home from work yet… I don't know how to tell him," Petunia whispered.

_"Petunia… I'm sorry."_

"What?"

_"I know how much you consider me to be a freak. I'm sorry that your son might have to go through his parents hating him because he's a wizard."_

Petunia stiffened, pinching her brow as she tried not to scream. "Lily… I don't know what to do."

Lily was quiet over the phone for a moment before Petunia heard her voice again. _"What do you want of your son, Petunia?"_

"I want him to be normal!"

_"Petunia, this is the new normal for him. He's not a Muggle, and you have a choice to either be a good, supportive mother to him, or you can do to him what you did to me, and end up pushing him away. But if you want to continue to live in denial, wait and see if he gets his Hogwarts letter. If he doesn't, then congratulations, you were seeing things."_

She stared, dumbfounded at Lily's words. "Lily, I – "

_"Those are your only two options, Petunia. Now, I'm sorry to cut this short, but we're having dinner tonight with some friends and their children. Bye… Tunie."_

"Bye Lily…" she whispered, her voice shaking as she ended the call and put the phone down on the bedside table, before resting her head in her hands. This was a nightmare scenario for Petunia, something she never expected would happen. Yes, Lily was a witch, and that wasn't right, wasn't normal, but for her son, her Dudley to be one…

And then there was Vernon. Her dear husband Vernon. He hated magic more than Petunia did. How was he going to react to this?

Still… normal. She had to pretend – for now – that everything was normal.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Petunia rose to her feet and went back downstairs to finish cooking dinner. It needed to be done at exactly five-thirty after all, and she had wasted enough time already.

"Mum? I'm done with my homework…" Dudley's voice, unusually quiet, murmured into the room right as Petunia was finishing mashing potatoes.

"I'm glad, Dudley," Petunia said. "You can watch TV now. Your father will be home soon."

Dudley nodded, shuffling a little in the kitchen's doorway. "Mum, are you mad?"

Petunia sighed, setting the beaters down and looking at her son. Her beloved son. If he was a wizard… could she turn her back on him like she had Lily?

"No, Dudders, I'm not mad at you. I know you couldn't help what happened earlier," she said, putting her hands lovingly on his shoulders. "And I promise, I'll tell you what I think happened, but for now, maybe we can keep it our little secret? I don't think your father needs to know about this quite yet."

Dudley frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I still need to talk to some other people about this. If you keep it a secret for your father, I promise we'll go to the shops after you get out of school tomorrow, and you can get whatever games you'd like."

He lit up at that and happily wandered into the living room, and moments later Petunia heard the television flash to life, and normalcy seemed to be returning to the Dursley household with Vernon's arrival home from work. As always, Vernon's coat and hat were hung up neatly, his briefcase put carefully next to the coffee table, he'd ruffled Dudley's hair, given her a kiss, and the family settled in to dinner, with Petunia's heartbeat beginning to slow to a normal pace.

Or, it would have, if not ten minutes later, the fireplace hadn't lit up in a brilliant shade of white, and Albus Dumbledore appeared in the middle of their living room.

"Hello Petunia. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"


End file.
